Reining in Rumors: How to Effectively Manage Office Gossip

Reining in Rumors: How to Effectively Manage Office Gossip
Kim Shark, Recruiting Manager - Robert Half Finance & Accounting

Psst…Did you hear the news about gossip in the workplace?

According to a survey by Robert Half International, 84 percent of executives said it’s common for employees to engage in office gossip, and nearly two-thirds (63 percent) said it has a negative impact.

Indeed, rampant rumormongering can damage your team’s morale and productivity by stoking unfounded anxiety, creating confusion and stirring up friction. Following are tips on managing gossip:

Share information as quickly as you can. Frequently providing clear and candid communication is the best way to keep gossip in check. Don’t drag your feet when it comes to sharing relevant news with your accounting staff. Remember: When changes are clearly afoot and you don’t offer any insights, the office grapevine will fill the void with speculation. (Also, be mindful that employees can develop wild imaginations when they feel shut out.)

Stay in regular contact. Maintain an open-door policy, but also be proactive and check in with your team members from time to time. Casual chats allow you to get a handle on office undercurrents and find out how people are feeling and what they are worried about.
Don’t let one bad apple spoil the bunch. If there’s an individual employee who continually creates problems by spreading misinformation, don’t shy away from addressing the issue with the person one-on-one. And be quick to publicly correct potentially damaging half-truths by providing accurate and up-to-date clarifications.

Keep your cool. The higher you are in the organizational hierarchy, the more likely you are to be an occasional topic of discussion. So, as a manager, you’re bound to be the subject of some watercooler chatter. Hearing of these kinds of comments can be a two-edged sword. On the one hand, you can set the record straight on comments made about you personally when you absolutely need to, but it’s generally best to remain calm, cool and collected, while doing your best to develop a tough skin. That said, if you pick up criticisms of your management style that could be constructive, consider them as valuable input for improving your approaches or policies.
Lead by example. Practice what you preach. Don’t speak in hushed tones or criticize the decisions of those above you. In short, don’t say anything about people that you wouldn’t say in front of them.

For more advice on management and career issues, listen to The Management Minute, Robert Half’s podcast series at www.rhi.com/podcast.